The biggest change Alexa Grasso has felt since becoming champion is the pressure that comes with it.
Grasso became the women’s flyweight champ with a massive upset win over Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 285 in March 2023. The Mexican champ went on to retain her strap with a slightly controversial split draw in a rematch against Shevchenko at Noche UFC in September 2023. Grasso is now set to put her strap on the line against “Bullet” in a trilogy clash in the co-main event at UFC 306 this weekend at the Sphere in Las Vegas.
Speaking of what has changed since achieving championship status, the typically humble Grasso says not much has, apart from the responsibilities. With the strap comes the burden of not losing it. Grasso feels there’s so much at stake now that she cannot afford to not be her absolute best even for a single day. And the 31-year-old loves it.
“It didn’t change a lot…I just know that I have more responsibilities,” Grasso recently told UFC.com. “I need more discipline. There’s a lot more in the game. You can’t allow yourself for one day to not do your best. That’s the thing that changed it the most. And I’m happy; I love challenges, I love to push myself every day. I love the pressure. And that’s a big change. Since I got in the UFC, of course, my goal was to be the champion, and I achieved it.”
UFC 306: O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now!
In addition to their two outings in the Octagon, Grasso and Shevchenko also spent a lot of time together on the set of “The Ultimate Fighter 32” earlier this year. However, Grasso isn’t tired of thinking about Shevchenko or the idea of fighting her and is more excited than ever for the trilogy.
“No, I’m not tired of thinking about her or competing against her,” Grasso said. “Honestly, like I’ve said it a million times: it’s a woman that I admire so much. Both of us have been working so hard all this last year. Having these opportunities is not magic. No, we earn it. We’ve been working so hard. The two fights we had were so good. And I’m just excited and more motivated than ever to fight again.”
Grasso and “Bullet” have always been mutually respectful, even while the latter claimed to have been robbed of a win in the rematch. Grasso notes that the relationship between them is that of competitors who both know what sacrifices it takes to reach the level that they have.
“The relationship between us is about competition,” Grasso said. “We love to compete against each other. We are, of course, respectful to each other because we know how hard is to be here, how hard it is to do a fight camp, a diet, how to be a champion. And we both know all the effort we need to be here. So, it’s just respect. Of course, there’s [occasional] tension because we’ve spent a lot of time together all the last years. But yeah, I think that we love to compete against each other.”
